


After Laughter

by East (ugothaxxed)



Category: DC - Fandom, DCU, DCU (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, Dogs, Family Fluff, Fluff, Light Angst, Next tag is a spoiler, The Kents Get A Dog, but like, happiness, it's a soft death, puppy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 18:45:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12138771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ugothaxxed/pseuds/East
Summary: Clark reminisces about the time his family got a dog.And it's not Krypto.





	After Laughter

I met him when I was 5.

He’d gone and stuck his head right through our fence, and whined until Pa went and cut him loose. I knew then and there that this dog would be mine, and I made sure to let Pa know it too. Ma came running outside from all the commotion I’d been causing. After what felt like ages of pleading - it’d only been a few minutes - they finally agreed. I named him Snow, because out there on the farm, it was a miracle to get any. And damn, I felt like a miracle happened when he arrived.

His breed lay somewhere between that of a labrador and one of them samoyed breeds I’d read about the year prior; I’d been obsessed with animals and Ma had gone and rented a few books from the library in town to keep me occupied. That day I met him we ran through the fields behind the farmhouse, letting the sun soak into my skin and feeling the breeze sway the wheat stalks against our legs.

After a while, exhaustion crept up behind us and we almost passed out on the ground from fun. I ran my fingers through the fur on his head, bumping along until I’d petted him all the way down his neck. Snow wagged his tail and then nudged up against my face with his, licking me ruthlessly as I laughed. We stayed there for hours, grass poking our bodies, until Ma called me in for dinner. Snow and I looked up at the sky before going in, staring at the stars as one.

 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

I wasn’t really a tough kid; sure, I have super strength and all, but mild mannered Clark Kent never stood up for himself. Snow always seemed to know when something was wrong. Whenever my day’d been off because of the bullies or the stress he’d run around me in circles before tackling me onto my bed, forcing me to take a break from it all. I wish he could've done the same thing at school for me - tackle me in the hall and make those bullies jealous that they didn't have a pet that loved them like Snow loved me.

That's why, when one year, we had one of those “Bring Your Pet to School Day” type days, I’d been excited about it for weeks. But on that exact day, Pa’d went and gotten sick, meaning Ma needed my help with the farm-work. My Ma is a strong and independent woman, but even the best of us can’t handle the worst that life throws at us. Believe me; I know.

The next day at school I was so upset - I’d been bragging about how awesome Snow was for ages. My teacher, bless her heart, couldn’t stand me being so unhappy. She gave me a note to take home with me to give to my parents, saying it was confidential. I’ll never know what she wrote in that note, but what I do know is what happened the next day.

Class had been going for I’d say around half an hour when my teacher, Ms. Larkin, stopped the lesson abruptly. She went on to say something along the lines of a “surprise” and “everyone being included”, but I honestly can say I don’t remember her spiel. What I do remember however is the feeling of ecstasy when Ma walked into class with him - when Snow ran towards me and jumped up onto me. I caught him and got a face-full of kisses that I’d need to clean off later, but I didn’t care. I’d gotten my “Bring Your Pet to School Day” after all, and it was more than that - it was practically “Bring Your Best Friend to School Day” too.

 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

Every day, I’d skip the bus ride home from school and run the few miles myself just to see Snow faster. Every day, he’d be sitting out on our porch, tail pounding on the wood, preparing to tackle me and slobber me with his kisses. Every day until freshman year, I’d sit on our porch swing and tell him about my day. I’d throw him a tennis ball sometimes, and no matter how far I’d throw, he always came back - eyes vibrant with energy, tail a tornado of happiness. Every day, I’d sit out there on the porch, my feet stroking his back as I did my homework until Ma called us both in for dinner. Then at night, I’d climb into bed and be jumped upon by his likeness. We’d curl up together until dawn came by, and then every day he’d watch me get on the bus, whimpering from loneliness. And every day I’d promise him I’d be back home later, ready to start it over again.

Until one day when he wasn’t there.

I skid to a stop outside my porch, and called out worryingly. I crept up the steps to the porch and peeked through the front door - today had been market day, so Ma and Pa were nowhere to be found as expected. But I looked into our living home, hoping maybe Snow had gotten distracted; that in one more moment, I’d hear his paws clobbering along our wood floors, vibrating the floor beneath me like an earthquake.

But that earthquake never came.

My bag slowly dropped from my shoulder and sank onto the floor, as desperation likewise sunk into me. I sprinted out the back door of our farm house and tried to focus my hearing and sight.

Silence.

Nothing.

Then, a small whimper echoed in my ears, coming from the fields. Not holding back I bounded towards it, finally spotting Snow. He was on the ground, a sad bullet torn through his side. It must’ve been shot hours ago - there was nothing I could do to save him.

So I laid there with him, stroking his neck and receiving solemn kisses, as we had so many nights ago. I stayed until he was long gone, and until the stars shone a little bit brighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! Thanks for reading - this work is an adaptation of a class writing I did, but with a lot of tweaks. As in, the original writing was about a hybrid dog/unicorn and some random kid, not Clark. Please let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up at my tumblr, merryunbirthday.


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